St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-08-27

How did they feel in that last hour?
How did they seem to act? were they
very much frightened? Did they take
! hold of this world with both hands as
though they did not want to give 1t up?
ooh, no" YOU say mo, remember as
though it were yesterday; she had
kind word for us all, and there were
| few mementoes distributed among the
children, and then she told US how kind
we must be to our father in his lonell-
ness. and then she kissed US goodbye and
went asleep as child in cradle"
What made her so composed? Natural
| courage? "No," you say; mother was
| yery nervous; when the carriage in
| clined to the side of the road she would
crv out: she was always rather weakly"
What, then, gave her composure? Was
| it because she did not care much for you,
| and the pang of parting was not great?
"Oh," YOU say, "she shOWered upon US
a wealth of affection; no mother ever
loved her children more than mother
| loved us; she showed it by the way she
nursed us when we were sick, and she
toiled for us until her strength gave out"
| What, then, was it that gave her com
posure in the last hour? Do not hideit
Be frank and let me know. "Oh," you
say, ''it was because she was so good;
she made the Lord her portion, and she
had faith that she would go straight to
glory, and that we should all meet her at
last al the foot of the throne"
Here are people who say: II saw
| Christian brother die, and he triumphed."
And some one else: 81 saw a Christian
sister die, and she triumphed." Some
one else will say: 81 saw Christian
daughter die and she triumphed." Come,
all We who have seen the last moments OF
a Christian, and give testimony IN THIS
cause on trial Uncover your heads, put
your hand on the old family Bible from
which they used to read the promises,
and promise in the presence of high
Heaven that you will tell the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
With what you have seen with your own
eyes, and from what you have heard with
your own ears, is there power in this
Gospel to give calmness and triumph IN
the last exigency? The response comes
from all sides, from young and old, and
middle aged save are witnesses y
You see, my friends, | have not put
before you an abstraction, or chlmera
or anything like guess work. l present
you affitlavits of the best men and women,
living and dead. Two witnesses in court
will establish a fact. Here are not two
witnesses but thousands OF Witnesses
on earth millions of witnesses, and in
Heaven great multitude OF witnesses
that no man can number, testitylng that
there is power in this religion to convert
the soul, to give comfort in trouble, and
to afford composure in the last hour.
If ten men should come to you when
| eic1y viii a1ljnp sickness and
say they had the same sickness, and took
certain medicine, and it cured them,
you would probably take it. Now, sup
pose ten other men should come up and
say, 1--WE don't believe there is anything
in that medicine" "Well," I say, "have
you ever tried it,"
mo. never tried it, but l don't be-
lieve there is anything in it," Of course
you discredit their testimony. The
skeptic may come and say: There is no
power in your religion" Have you
ever tried it?" NO, no." Then,
avauntr' Let me take the testimony of
the millions of souls that have been con-
verified to God, and comforted in trial and
solaced in the last hour. We will take
their testimony as they cry: 1--WE are
| witnesses !"
Some time ago Professor Henry, of
Washington, discovered new star, and
the tidings sped by submarine telegraph,
and all the observatories of Europe were
watching for that new star. Oh, nearer,
looking out through the darkness of thy
soul, canst thou see bright light beaming
on thee? "Where? % you say, "where?'
How can l find it," Look along by the
line of the cross Of the Son of God. Do
you not see it trembling with all tender
ness and beaming with all hope? 1t is
the Star of Bethlehem.
| Deep horror then my vitals froZe,
Death-struck | ceased the tide to stem,
When suddenly star arose
1t was the Star of Bethlehem.
Oh, hearer, get your eye on it. 1t IS
easier for you now to become Christians
than it is to stay away from Christ and
Heaven. When Madame Sontag began
her musical career she was Kissed Off the
stage at Vienna by the friends of her
rival, Amelia Steininger, who had already
begun to decline through her dissipation.
Years passed on, and one day Madame
Sontag, in her glory, was riding through
little child leading blind woman, and
she said: "Come here, my little child,
come here. Who is that you are leading
by the hand?" And the little child re
piled: That's my mother; that's Amelia
Steininger. She used to be great singer,
but she lost her voice, and she cried SO
much about ii that she lost her eyesight.'
Give my love to her. said Madame Son.
tag, and tell her an old acquaintance
will call on her this afternoon
The next week in Berlin vast assem-
bIagc gathered at benefit for that poor
blind woman, and it was said that Mad
anne Sontag sang that night as she had
never sung before. And she took a
skilled oculist, who in vain tried to give
eyesight to the poor blind woman. Until
the day of Amelia Steiningers death
Madame Sontag took care of her, and
her daughter after her. That was what
The queen of song did for her enemy.
But, oh, hear more thrilling story
still Blind. immortal, poor and lost
thou who, when the world and Christ
we're rivals fol thy heart, didst hiss thy
Lord away-Christ comes now to give
thee sight, TO give thee home, to give
thee Heaven. With more than Son
tags generosity He comes now to meet
your need. With more than a Sontag's
music lie comes TO plead for thy deliver
ance.
n CHASTITY PLASTER CAST.
rA-r,I